Bixby Knolls Christian Church
(a Disciples of Christ Church)
(562) 426-0428
the Fellowship News
NUMBER 11
On my blog, I recently wrote about the TV show
Survivor. Survivor is, of course, a game show, in
which contestants vote one another off the island (or
wherever they're located) as they compete to be the last
one standing: the sole survivor. Each season, there is
some variation: the challenges are different, the teams
are mixed up, etc., but for the most part, the game re-
mains the same.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an episode of
Survivor. I guess I got tired of the game.
However, I remember that when Survivor first pre-
miered, it was seen by some as representing life in gen-
eral: it's a dog-eat-dog, survival-of-the-fittest world, in
which everyone struggles to climb to the top and be the
sole Survivor.
I'm tired of that game, too.
What would happen if, on one Survivor episode,
the contestants refused to play the game? What if one
of the contestants did everything he or she could to help
one of the other contestants win? What if each contest-
ant agreed to vote for themselves at tribal council? I do
seem to remember something about a rule prohibiting
that, so what if, from day one, the players planned their
votes so that, when the votes were counted, every per-
son had one vote? If they continued that practice, then
by a team's fifth tribal council, every contestant would
have received five votes total over the course of the
season: an unbreakable tie. What if the contestants
stuck to this strategy, no matter how many re-votes
took place?
Having not watched the show in some time, I don't
know if a situation like this has ever happened. If it
has, then my guess is that the producers figured out a
way to overcome it, a way to force the contestants to
continue playing the game the way it is supposed to be
played.
I wonder, though: in the game of life, who is forc-
ing me to play? If I refuse to play, what will happen?
Recently I took my sons to see the movie How to
Train Your Dragon. The main character - a boy named
Hiccup - lives in a Viking village where the "game" is
fighting and killing the dragons that ravage the village
and steal livestock. This "game" is the game. It
JUNE, 2010
defines all of life. It defines who the people are. The
people of the village can't even imagine living by any
other rules.
Except Hiccup. He discovers, by chance, that there
is a life outside this game. This is something that no
one else could possibly understand, since the rules of
the game are the only rules they know how to live
by. So Hiccup keeps his discovery a secret. He doesn't
see how he can open the eyes of the villagers to the
truth he has found, that there is a life outside the game,
a life that is more liberating in so many ways than he
could have imagined, a life of understanding and
peace. He wants to share this with the people of his
village, but he doesn't know how; so he keeps it secret.
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced
that "not playing the game" is a metaphor for living in
the kingdom of God. As such, church is a place for all
those who are tired of playing the game. It’s a place
where, instead of playing the game, we discover what it
means to truly live.
Blessings,
Pastor Danny
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.
Isaiah 58: 9-
9-10
Use me to bring wholeness to my neighbor.
Use my church to bring wholeness to
our community.
Show us how your kingdom of shalom
may be made real on earth through us.
IN THIS ISSUE -
~ FROM THE PASTOR
~ NEWS & NOTES
~ SUMMER EVENTS

Bringing warmth
building hope
Under a big blue tent, more than 100 children,
ages 6 to 14, are seated in small groups paying
close attention to their teachers. Surrounded by
ruined buildings, these Haitian children, who lost
homes and family members during the earthquake,
are continuing their education with the help of the
CWS-supported House of Hope program. The tent
also serves as a dormitory for the children and
their families. Church World Service Blankets have
brought welcome warmth during the cool eve-
nings.
Church World Service was able to rush
blankets and CWS Kits to the people of Haiti
within the first 24 hours thanks to pre-positioned
supplies in neighboring Dominican Republic. Medi-
cal supplies, food, water and tents have also been
provided as part of the CWS and ACT Alliance
combined effort. Your support helps make that
kind of swift response possible.
Contributions to Blankets+ mean Church
World Service will be in Haiti for the long haul, as
families recover from this tragedy. And we will be
ready to help families in other parts of the world
to recover from disasters and build viable, sustain-
able lives and communities.
Blankets+ Sunday at Bixby Knolls Christian
Church will be June 20.
Dear Ones, enclosed is for B.K.C. Church Youth
Scholarship Fund. It began when my father
passed on. He believed in helping youth to be edu-
cated. In lieu of flowers we requested a scholar-
ship fund be established. Sandy Jeglum or Trisha
Lees could give you more information as I think
Wes turned the “reins” over to them.
Wes and I discussed making this gift in love to our
dear B.K.C.C. youth before he passed on.
We have been blessed the past 2 years with
prayers, cards and loving concern from our
B.K.C.C. Brothers and Sisters in Christ. We want
to encourage the youth to “carry on” in our
church and in their education.
We have been proud to be a part of B.K.C.C. and
our love and daily prayers are with you all.
Lovingly sent in Christian Love,
Betty and Wes (in Spirit)
Words of appreciation were also extended to the
congregation from the VA Long Beach Care Sys-
tem on behalf of the hospitalized veterans for re-
membering the Veterans with special Easter cards
and Valentine cards. “Your cards helped to boost
the spirits ... who were touched by your thoughtful-
ness.”
Scrip wishes to say “thank you” to the Rugh fam-
ily for using BKCC scrip in making an appliance
purchase for their home. This type of purchase
really helped our May return. You, too, can in-
crease the amount of return to BKCC. Use our
scrip to make all of your purchases - large and
small alike. June has begun and that means
graduations, Father’s Day, weddings, anniversa-
ries, etc. Marcia’s table is always open.
Sunday June 13th is Graduate Recognition Sunday
and Sunday School Promotion. Our children fin-
ishing 3rd grade (Worship & Wonder) and begin-
ning 4th grade (Junior Class) will be presented with
a Bible during the morning worship service. Please
plan to be at church to show your
support of our young people.
 Summer Events
Evenings on the Patio
An informal evening of music and refreshments on our patio; 6:30-8:00
June 27: Michael Morton - flute
July 25: New Frontier – local youth band
August 29: South Bay Christian Church praise band

Movie Nights
Enjoy a family-friendly feature film in our air-conditioned fellowship hall.
Movie starts at 6:30pm.
June 19
July 10
July 31
August 14

High Seas Expedition

(Vacation Bible School)
A week of adventure for children ages 5-11
(Leadership opportunities for older youth)
July 12-16 (Monday – Friday)

Loch Leven Summer Camp

Swimming, hiking, singing, crafts, campfires, outdoor games, and spiritual growth
at our beautiful camp in the San Bernardino Mountains
Mini Camp (entering grades 2-3): July 7-10
Junior Camp (entering grades 4-6): June 27-July 3
Chi-Rho Camp (entering grades 7-8): July 18-24
CYF 1 Camp (entering grades 9-10): July 25-31
CYF 2 Camp (entering grades 11-12, and ’10 grads): August 1-7

All-Church Picnic
A summer celebration for all ages, featuring lots of food and fun activities
Sunday, August 22, following worship
Will J. Reid Scout Park (4747 Daisy Ave.)
 Witnessing the Resilience of the Haitian People
Sharon E. Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), reflects on her experiences dur-
ing a recent trip to Haiti.
A memorial service for people who died. An anointing for some who were injured yet live. Visits to House of
Hope children now meeting under tarps - and to a local church that has become the center of a village of makeshift
tents. Highlights of our post-Earthquake trip to Haiti.
We were Global Ministries executives, Cally Rogers-Witte and David Vargas; Latin America and the Carib-
bean Executive, Felix Ortiz; the GMP (General Minister and President) of the United Church of Christ, Geoffrey
Black; and me, Sharon Watkins, Disciples GMP.
At first glance, Haiti is pretty much exactly what you'd think. So much destruction of buildings - random al-
most - one still standing, another just beside it in ruins. The scope of the overall damage - like it was in New Orleans -
is beyond what the camera can convey.
But a second look shows Haitians standing proud. Commerce continues - even in front of rubble and collapsed
buildings, merchants set up shop on the sidewalks of Port au Prince as they did before the earthquake. Cars by law
must be clean. Work crews are everywhere with shovels, wheel barrows, pick axes, cement trowels, brooms. Rebuild-
ing has begun.
It's going to take a long time.
But our partner, Jerode Guillomettre of the SKDE (Christian Center for Integrated Development) says Haitians
are up to the task. He said he, in shock, couldn't pray for three days after the quake. But when the prayer finally came,
it was "Thank you." Thanks to God that not everyone died. Thanks for the faithfulness of the Haitian people to be re-
vealed singing, praying, praising God even in the aftermath of disaster. Thanks for the opportunity to build a new
Haiti.
That same faithfulness was apparent at a memorial service for those lost at the Port au Prince headquarters of
CONASPEH (National Spiritual Council of Churches of Haiti) our Global Ministries partner which is an umbrella or-
ganization of 6700 local churches - most of them very poor. We sensed their faith as survivors told their stories, as we
prayed together and anointed them, praising God for the gift of life and hope in Jesus Christ.
After the service we met children who are the child sponsorship children that Disciples and UCC can support.
We met more children at the two House of Hope locations now operating under tarps. House of Hope, set up to bring a
future for child domestic laborers, is now reaching out to all who come from the neighborhoods around the tarps. The
goal is to give normalcy and joy to children traumatized by the earthquake, to get them ready to start back to school.
It's good to partner with these fine teachers and administrators who so obviously care for the children. My
heart soared as I heard the children sing, saw them laugh, inspected their handiwork: embroidery and wood carving out
under the tarp. And listened to the beautiful melody of the Haitian National anthem sung by a young soprano who
could have a future in music - accompanied with energy by all those sweet children's voices. Those children are part of
our child sponsorship program as well.
At one of our CONASPEH churches we visited a kind of "shanty town" made up of tents that can hardly bear
the name: hand cut tree branches stuck in to the earth, with whatever kind of fabric or sheet or blanket that could be
scrounged up to stretch in between. The congregation itself is now meeting under a large tarp. Surrounding that tarp
are about 400 makeshift tents - the daytime homes of some 1000 of Haiti's poorest people following the quake. I say
daytime home, because at night - for security in numbers and safety in the arms of the church - they come under the
church tarp to sleep.
We met the pastor - looking tired but smiling - as he moved among his expanded congregation there on the
church grounds.
We marveled at the faithfulness of the church - on the ground and around the world - joining hands to be the
good news that God loves the world and God wants God's children to live in abundance, to be a movement for whole-
ness, a sign of God's inbreaking reign into the world.
We joined in Guillomettre's prayer: "Thank you." Thank you, God, for the work of the churches of Haiti.
Thank you for the partnership of churches around the world, for our own Week of Compassion, first responder in times
of disaster and partner in longer term development assistance. And thanks for the long-term church-to-church relation-
ships cultivated and nurtured through our Global Ministries partnerships, supported through Disciples Mission Fund
(DMF) as we walk with partners, offering critical presence over the long haul.
It will be a long haul in Haiti, but we will be there through our prayers, through our gifts, through our advo-
cacy, for a strong, prosperous Haiti. Following the lead of the Haitian people themselves, we will walk together as
partners, in the name of Christ.
May it be so.
The next church board meeting is Tuesday
evening, June 8, at 7:00pm. Due to election
polls in room 115, the meeting location will be
moved to another room. If you serve on the
board, please plan to attend; your participa-
tion is vital!
The next elders meeting is Thursday, June 24.
The next Christian Education meeting is
Thursday, June 17.
Each election, the
California Council
of Churches offers
insight and recom-
mendation regard-
ing statewide ballot initiatives. If you are inter-
ested in reading what the council has to say re-
garding the propositions on the ballot, go to
www.calchurches.org and click on the “California
Church Impact” logo.
For more information about Miracle Week,
check out the fellowship hall bulletin board, or
visit www.disciplespswr.org
• We are pleased to welcome Ismael Pheng,
who became a member of Bixby Knolls Christian
Church on Pentecost Sunday, May 23. Ismael is
a young man who frequently attends our 1:30
worship service.
• Chuck Fowler has been feeling under the
weather lately but was back in church Sunday.
●Lynndy Kennedy was recently hospitalized af-
ter experiencing tightness in her chest along
with pneumonia. Pray for Lynndy.
• On May 26, our secretary, Monica and hus-
band, Dale, again became proud grandparents
with the birth of their fourth granddaughter,
Cassidy Brooklyn. Mother, Kelsey and dad,
Daniel are doing well and very happy.
To have your news, joys, or concerns included in next
month’s newsletter, send a note to Pastor Danny at
dannybradfield@gmail.com, or call the church office.
Summer Children’s Program
On Sunday, June 20th, we will begin the summer Chil-
dren’s Church program. This will be for our children
K-5th graders. The summer program consists of 10
Sundays, and we need 2 volunteers for each Sunday.
Please sign up to help with this important program.
There are materials you can use or you may plan your
own activity. The time frame is after the children’s
moment in the morning worship until church is over—
only about 35 minutes. A sign up sheet is on the sign
up board in the fellowship hall.
Parents: In the event there are no volunteers on a given
Sunday, the children will have to remain in the sanctu-
ary.
Visit our Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/bixbyknollschurch

The Interfaith
Cafés are
Back!
You are invited to join
folks from different faith
traditions in small group
discussions about how
faith impacts daily life.
Last year, BKCC hosted one of the Interfaith Cafés,
and several of our members attended. This year’s
schedule is as follows:
June 13: Holy Spirit Fellowship
1115 Market St., Long Beach
July 11: Seaside Community Church
22940 Ocean Ave., Torrance
Aug. 8: The Neighborhood Church
415 Paseo del Mar, Palos Verdes Estates
Each Interfaith Café is from 2:00 – 5:00 and includes
refreshments. To confirm your attendance, or for
more information, please call 562-983-1665 1665 or
email scic@charterinternet.com.
The grace of God
A man was met at the gates of heaven
by St. Peter, who said, “It will take 1,000
points for you to be admitted. The way you
lived your life will determine your points.”
The man said, “Unless I was sick, I at-
tended worship every Sunday and sang in the
choir.”
“That’s 50 points,” said St. Peter.
“What else?”
“I gave liberally to the church,” the
man said.
“Twenty-five points,” replied St. Peter.
“Anything else?”
Realizing he had only 75 points, the
man began to get desperate. “I taught Sun-
day school for several years.”
“That’s great work for God, but it’s
worth only 25 points,” noted St. Peter.
The man became frantic. “You know,”
he said, “at this rate the only way I’ll get into
heaven is by the grace of God!”
Peter smiled as he said, “That’s worth
900 points! Come on in!”
The Fellowship News

A publication of
Bixby Knolls Christian Church of Long
Beach (a Disciples of Christ Church)
1240 E. Carson Street
Who asked God the question? Long Beach, CA 90807
www.bixbyknollschurch.org

1. “What shall I do unto this people? They are Editor:

Monica Lanz
almost ready to stone me.” (Hint: a leader) 562-426-0428
Exodus 17: 3-4 bkcchurch@aol.com
fax 562-426-0429
2. “Shall seven years of famine come unto thee
in thy land? Or wilt thou flee three months be- Pastor:
Daniel Bradfield
fore thine enemies?”
2 Samuel 24:13 The Fellowship News is published
twice monthly.
3. What was the affliction of the woman who
touched the hem of Jesus’ robe?
Mark 11 5:31
4. What Hebrew governed Egypt?
BIXBY KNOLLS
Genesis 42: 6 CHRISTIAN CHURCH
5. According to Jesus, who would teach his fol- (Disciples of Christ)
lowers all they needed to know?
SUNDAY SCHEDULE:
John 14:26
9:00 a.m. Sunday School for Adults
10:15 a.m. Morning Worship and Children’s Church

UPCOMING SCRIPTURE OFFICE HOURS:

Monday - Thursday 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Friday closed
June 6 - 1 Kings 17: 8-24
Sermon: If You Dare